Introduction: Each of us has "a list"....a list of cars that we can't wait to purchase. We pay attention to manufacturer release dates, visit message boards looking for updates, and keep track of the goings-on at our favorite resellers. These are the must-have diecasts.

The diecast in this Feature Review was not on my list. In fact, it was on the market for quite a while before I even gave it a second look. I don't know about most people, but I just don't lust after Volkswagens. But after seeing the car previewed by Joe Kelly on the Diecast.org site, and liking what I saw, I waited until one showed up on Ebay and did my thing. One week's shipping time later, I'd added a car to my collection that is a permanent keeper. This one came out of the box and surprised the heck out of me. It looked great in photos, but photos didn't do this diecast justice.

Highs: Where to start? There are so many great details, so here goes:

Just like my Minichamps Alfa, this VW has thick, smooth, glossy paint without a single flaw anywhere. In fact, this is one of maybe 3-4 cars in my collection where the paint looks truly authentic; not just great, but lifelike. I should point out that the color shade might confuse people. It's listed as "light blue", and it is light blue. But it also kinda looks like a very light sage or seagreen. If you look at my photos below, the first and last photo make it look its bluest. The photos in between make it look somewhere in between light blue and light green. I think my first and last photos are probably a little too blue, though in certain light that's what the car looks like! It's a subtle color, not vivid at all, but it perfectly recreates the shade VW used on this car in 1971.

The rear of the car is where the greatest "wow" factor comes in...the rubber mat in the rear slides out of the way to reveal the removable engine cover, which is accurately marked with fastening instructions. Underneath is a plumbed and wired engine, which looks outstanding, though it's hard to capture in photos because of its position in the rear bay. Up front, underneath the cargo lid, is the trunk and full-size rubber spare. Both front and rear lid stay up tightly on their own. The doors open with nice spring action, revealing a spartan but perfectly recreated interior. You can see in photos 9, 11, and 12 that Minichamps didn't forget the grab handles for rear seat ingress and egress. Too cool! I also highlighted the antenna, which you install yourself, because of its realistic rubber mounting base. All of the airflow vents you see, on the rear quarter panels and underneath the rear bumper, are true pass-throughs. Also, take a close look at the way Minichamps painted in the rubber gasketing around all the windows. This is the best gasketing (is that a word?) job I've seen on a diecast, even better than Lane's attempt on their Z16 Chevy. The dog-dish rims look great, with the VW logo clearly stamped in the center.

Another cool detail that people might miss is on the excellent windshield wipers: Minichamps painted the back edges matte black, to represent the rubber blades. I think it looks perfect. I'm also very pleased with the recreation of headlights, taillights, and side markers. And it does have a working suspension, for those of you who look for that feature.

Finally, the stance and proportions are dead-on accurate. I love when a diecast looks like the real thing, just shrunk down to size. Seriously, think about how many diecasts are done well but you still can't imagine them as shrunken versions of the real thing. Either the chrome doesn't quite look right, or some rubber gaskets are missing somewhere, or the wheels stick out a little too much or are a little too small. It's really impossible for manufacturers to get the cars 100% accurate. I'm sure this VW isn't 100% either, but it's as close as any diecast I've ever purchased.

Lows: The only blemish I can find anwhere on this car is on the underside of the front bumper, there's a tiny chip in the chrome paint. You can only see it if you turn the car upside down, and look closely at the edge of the front bumper. Otherwise, quality control did a great job. If you roll the car, the front wheels have a tendency to turn one way or the other full-lock, which might prevent you from rolling the car across a table or desk. I know, I know, that's a stupid thing to catch. But there's nothing to complain about, and I had to write something.

Summary: I made this my Feature Review because I think it's an amazing diecast, but one that many people probably missed. I don't think its distribution in the US is widespread either, because it's difficult to find. They rarely pop up on Ebay, and very few resellers have them. I paid $58 for mine, which I'd gladly pay again considering the quality, fit-and-finish, and level of detail. I guess most people can't get excited about the subject matter, but if you can it'll be one of the nicest models you'll ever buy at this price point.